Patent application title: Filing Valve Having a Liquid Chamber, a Gas Chamber and a Medium Chamber, and Filling Machine Comprising the Same

Abstract:

Filling valve (12) including:--a hollow housing (21); a moving valve
assembly (24) slidingly mounted in the housing (21), the moving valve
assembly (24) and the hollow housing (21) together defining a liquid
chamber (30) and a gas chamber (32); a liquid inlet (46) for putting the
liquid chamber (30) into communication with a liquid supply pipe (14); a
gas inlet (47) for putting the gas chamber (32) into communication with a
gas supply pipe (17); wherein the moving valve assembly (24) includes: a
hollow valve rod (25) provided with a through hole (43) opening in the
gas chamber (32) at an upper end (37) of the valve rod (25), the valve
rod being slideable with respect of the housing (21) between an open
position in which the valve rod (25) opens an aperture (23) in the
housing (21), thereby allowing liquid to flow from the liquid chamber
(30) through the aperture (23), and a closed position in which the valve
rod (25) closes the aperture (23), and a piston (26) slidingly mounted in
the housing between an open position in which a lower end (51) of the
piston (26) is spaced from the upper end (37) of the valve rod (25),
thereby allowing gas to pass from the gas chamber (32) to the through
hole (43) in the valve rod (25) through the opening formed at the upper
end (37) thereof, and a closed position in which the lower end (51) of
the piston (26) is in sealing contact with the upper end (37) of the
valve rod (25).

Claims:

1. Filling valve (12) comprising:a hollow housing (21);a moving valve
assembly (24) slidingly mounted in the housing (21), said moving valve
assembly (24) and said hollow housing (21) together defining a liquid
chamber (30) and a gas chamber (32);a liquid inlet (46) for putting said
liquid chamber (30) into communication with a liquid supply pipe (14);a
gas inlet (47) for putting said gas chamber (32)into communication with a
gas supply pipe (17);wherein said moving valve assembly (24) comprises:a
hollow valve rod (25) provided with a through hole (43) opening in said
gas chamber (32) at an upper end (37) of said valve rod (25), said valve
rod being slideable with respect of the housing (21) between an open
position in which the valve rod (25) opens an aperture (23) in the
housing (21), thereby allowing liquid to flow from the liquid chamber
(30) through said aperture (23), and a closed position in which the valve
rod (25) closes said aperture (23), anda piston (26) slidingly mounted in
the housing between an open position in which a lower end (51) of the
piston (26) is spaced from the upper end (37) of the valve rod (25),
thereby allowing gas to pass from the gas chamber (32) to the through
hole (43) in the valve rod (25) through the opening formed at the upper
end (37) thereof, and a closed position in which the lower end (51) of
the piston (26) is in sealing contact with the upper end (37) of the
valve rod (25).

2. Filling valve according to claim 1, comprising a first return spring
(50) permanently biasing the valve rod (25) toward its open position.

3. Filling valve according to claim 1, further comprising a cup (65)
received in the gas chamber (32), and slidingly mounted with respect of
the piston (26) between a lower position, in which a lower edge (67) of
the cup (65) abuts against the upper end (37) of the valve rod (25), and
a higher position in which the cup (65) is spaced from the upper end (37)
of the valve rod (25), said cup (65) being provided with cut-outs (69)
for allowing gas to pass from the gas chamber (32) to the through hole
(43) through the cut-outs (69), said valve further comprising a second
return spring (71) permanently biasing said cup (65) toward its lower
position.

4. Filling valve (12) according to claim 3, wherein, in its open position,
the piston (26) maintains the cup (65) in its higher position.

5. Filling valve (12) according to claim 1, wherein the piston (26)
comprises a head (28) slidingly received in a air chamber (29) formed of
a cylindrical bore which it separates in an upper air chamber (55) and a
lower air chamber (56), the valve (12) further comprising a first air
inlet (57) opening in the upper air chamber (55) and a second air inlet
(58) opening in the lower air chamber (56) for controlling the position
of the piston head (28) through an air pressure differential between the
upper and lower air chambers (55, 56).

6. Filling valve (12) according to claim 5, wherein the second air inlet
(58) opens in the lower air chamber (56) through a double ball control
valve (59).

7. Filling valve (12) according to claim 6, wherein the control valve (59)
comprises a movable first ball (60) capable of occupying a closed
position in which it blocks upstream airflow from the lower air chamber
(56) to the second air inlet (58), and a second ball (61) capable of
occupying a closed position in which it blocks downstream airflow from
the second air inlet (58) to the lower air chamber (56).

8. Filling valve (12) according to claim 7, wherein the control valve (59)
further comprises a compression spring (64) which permanently biases the
balls (60, 61) of the control valve (59) toward their closed position.

9. Isobaric filling machine (1) comprising a rotary carrousel (9) equipped
with a plurality of filling valves (12) according to claim 1, and further
comprising a storage tank (3) comprising a liquid space (4) in
communication with the liquid chamber (30) of each valve (12) and an
overlying gas space (6) in communication with the gas chamber (32) of the
valve (12).

10. Filling machine (1) for the isobaric filling of a container (2), said
machine (1) comprising a rotary carrousel (9) equipped with a plurality
of filling valves (12) according to claim 2, said filling machine (1)
further comprising a storage tank (3) comprising a liquid space (4) in
communication with the liquid chamber (30) of each valve (12) and an
overlying gas space (6) in communication with the gas chamber (32) of the
valve (12), wherein the springs (50, 71) and the valve rod (25) are so
dimensioned
that:Pg×S2>T1Pg×S2<T1+Pg×S1andT2+P-
g×S2>T1+Pg×S1where:T1 is the axial force exerted
on the valve rod (25) by the first return spring (50);T2 is the axial
force exerted on the cup (65) by the second return spring (71);Pg is
the gas pressure in the gas space (6);Si is the surface area, considered
axially, of a lower end (44) of the valve rod (25) exposed to the gas
pressure in the container (2); andS2 is the surface area, considered
axially, of the upper end (37) of the valve rod (25) exposed to the gas
pressure in the gas chamber (32).

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The invention relates to a filling valve for filling a container
with a pressurized filling liquid such as a carbonated drink, and to an
isobaric filling machine including such a filling valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]The general principles of isobaric filling method are explained in
European patent application No. EP 0 375 912. In the known isobaric
method, part of the volume of a storage tank is filled with a liquid, the
overlying other part being filled with a gas maintained at a pressure
equal to the liquid saturation pressure. To fill a container, the
container interior is put into communication with the tank via two pipes,
a first of which opens into the upper part of the tank in the gas volume,
whereas the second pipe opens into the lower part of the tank in liquid
volume. In each pipe a shut-off valve is provided to close the relative
pipe. To fill the bottle the valve of the gas pipe is opened so that the
gas flows into the container. While keeping the valve of the gas pipe
open, the valve of the liquid pipe is open so that the liquid falls into
the container. Once reaching the filling level, the valves are stopped.

[0003]U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,618 and European patent application No. EP 1 101
998 both disclose a filling valve for the isobaric filling of a
container, said filling valve having a hollow valve rod slidingly mounted
in a valve housing. The valve rod is provided with a through hole
defining a gas passage, and a liquid passage is defined between the outer
periphery of the valve rod and the inner periphery of the housing.

[0004]These conventional filling method and filling valves require a
somewhat complex network of gas and liquid pipes, provided with numerous
shut-off valves which need to be precisely synchronized under control of
an appropriate control device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005]It is an object of the invention to provide a filling valve
permitting to simplify the structure of the filling machine equipped
therewith, and also permitting a simpler filling method.

[0011]wherein said moving valve assembly comprises: [0012]a hollow valve
rod provided with a through hole opening in said gas chamber at an upper
end of said valve rod, said valve rod being slideable with respect of the
housing between an open position in which the valve rod opens an aperture
in the housing, thereby allowing liquid to flow from the liquid chamber
through said aperture, and a closed position in which the valve rod
closes said aperture, and [0013]a piston slidingly mounted in the housing
between an open position in which a lower end of the piston is spaced
from the upper end of the valve rod, thereby allowing gas to pass from
the gas chamber to the through hole in the valve rod through the opening
formed at the upper end thereof, and a closed position in which the lower
end of the piston is in sealing contact with the upper end of the valve
rod.

[0014]There is also provided an isobaric filling machine equipped with a
plurality of such filling valves for filling containers with a gas
saturated liquid.

[0015]The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments,
considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational section view of a filling
machine according to the invention;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a side elevational section view showing a detail of the
filling machine of FIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a side elevational section view showing a filling valve
according to the invention, in a closed configuration;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the filling valve in a
gas filling configuration;

[0020]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, showing the filling valve
in a gas filling configuration;

[0021]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 to 5, showing the filling valve
in a liquid filling configuration;

[0022]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing an air exhaust operation
of the container.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023]Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a filling machine 1 for filling
containers 2 with a pressurized filling liquid (such as mineral water,
soft drink, beer and the like), saturated with a gas such as CO2.

[0025]The liquid is maintained at a predetermined level by means of a
control device including a level probe 8 located inside the storage tank
3, whereas the gas is maintained at a predetermined pressure equal to or
above the liquid saturation pressure at the storage tank temperature, so
that the filling liquid is constantly CO2-saturated, in equilibrium
with the overlying gas space 6.

[0026]The filling machine 1 is of the rotary type, and comprises a
carrousel 9 rotated by drive means (not shown) and including: [0027]a
lower plate 10 provided with a plurality of peripheral container support
arrangements 11 (one of which is partly shown on FIG. 2), and with a
plurality of corresponding filling valves 12, [0028]a medium plate 13
including a plurality of radial liquid supply pipes 14, each of which is
in communication with the liquid space 4 of the storage tank 3 and
connected to a filling valve 12 via a flow meter 15, and [0029]an upper
plate 16 including a plurality of radial gas supply pipes 17 in
communication with the gas space 6 of the storage tank 3 and connected to
the filling valves 12.

[0030]The container support arrangement 11 includes a support arm 18, an
upper end 19 of which is forked to cooperate with a collar 20 of a
container 2 to be filled through the corresponding filling valve 12.

[0031]The filling uses the so-called isobaric method. Such a method, well
explained in the European patent application No. EP 0 375 912, has two
main features. First, before being filled with liquid, the container 2 is
previously filled with pressurized gas from the storage tank 3; second,
the liquid leaves the filling valve 12 at a level which is lower than the
level of the liquid space 4 in the storage tank 3.

[0032]As depicted on FIG. 3, the filling valve 12 comprises a cylindrical
hollow housing 21 having an inner bore 22 formed around a vertical main
axis X and opened to form an aperture 23 at a bottom end of the housing
21, and a moving valve assembly 24 slidingly mounted in the housing 21
along the main axis X. The housing 21 is formed by superposition of four
cylindrical coaxial stages 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d screwed to each other, i.e.
a lower housing stage 21a, a first medium housing stage 21b, a second
medium housing stage 21c, and an upper housing stage 21d.

[0033]The moving valve assembly 24 comprises two stages movable with
respect of each other, i.e. a lower stage formed of a hollow valve rod
25, and an upper stage formed of a piston 26 having a cylindrical piston
body 27 and a piston head 28 slidingly received in an air chamber 29
formed of a cylindrical bore in the upper housing stage 21d.

[0034]As depicted on FIG. 3, the valve assembly 24 and the housing 21
together define: [0035]a liquid chamber 30 formed between the outer
periphery of a lower part 31 of the valve rod and the inner periphery of
the housing bore 22 in the lower housing stage 21a; [0036]a gas chamber
32 formed between the outer periphery of the piston body 27 and the inner
periphery of the housing bore 22 in the second medium housing stage 21c,
and [0037]a medium chamber 33 formed between the outer periphery of an
upper part 34 of the valve rod 25 and the inner periphery of the housing
bore 22 in the first medium housing stage 21b, i.e. between the liquid
chamber 30 and the gas chamber 32.

[0038]The valve 12 comprises a first or lower diaphragm 35, linking the
valve assembly 24 and the housing 21. The lower diaphragm 35 is held
liquid tight on the one hand between the lower part 31 and the upper part
34 of the valve rod 25, on the other hand between the lower housing stage
21a and the first medium housing stage 21b, whereby the lower diaphragm
35 forms a liquid tight flexible seal between the liquid chamber 30 and
the medium chamber 33.

[0039]The valve 12 further comprises a second or upper diaphragm 36,
linking the valve assembly 24 and the housing 21 at a distance above the
lower diaphragm 35. The upper diaphragm 36 is held gas tight, on the one
hand at an upper end 37 of the upper part 34 of the valve rod 25, on the
other hand between the first medium housing stage 21b and the second
medium housing stage 21c, whereby the upper diaphragm 36 forms a gas
tight flexible seal between the gas chamber 32 and the medium chamber 33.

[0040]The lower part 31 of the valve rod 25 forms a filling head 38 having
a peripheral helical rib 39 cooperating with the inner periphery of the
housing bore 22 and defining an annular contact surface 40 provided with
a seal element 41 which abuts, in a liquid tight manner, a valve seat 42
formed in the vicinity of the housing aperture 23, in a closed position
of the valve rod 25, shown on FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

[0041]The valve rod 25 comprises a through hole 43 corresponding to the
hollow portion of the valve rod 25 and constituting a gas passage for
putting the gas chamber 32 in communication with the inside of the
container 2. At the upper end 37 of the valve rod 25, the through hole 43
constituting the gas passage opens in the gas chamber 32, whereas at a
lower end 44 of the valve rod 25 a gas pipe 45 axially protrudes from the
filling head 38 to extend the through hole 43 towards the container 2.

[0042]The valve 12 also comprises a liquid inlet 46 formed by a through
hole in the lower housing stage 21a for putting the liquid chamber 30 in
communication with the liquid supply pipe 14, and a gas inlet 47 formed
by a through hole in the second medium housing stage 21c for putting the
gas chamber 32 in communication with the gas supply pipe 17.

[0043]The valve rod 25 is axially movable with respect of the housing 21,
under certain conditions which will be disclosed hereafter, between:
[0044]a closed position (FIGS. 3, 4, 5) in which the contact surface 40
is in liquid tight contact with the valve seat 42, thereby preventing the
liquid from flowing from the liquid chamber 30 through the housing
aperture 23, and [0045]an open position (FIG. 6) in which the valve rod
25 is elevated with respect of the closed position so that the contact
surface 40 is spaced from the valve seat 42, thereby allowing the liquid
to flow through the housing aperture 23, the helical rib 39 ensuring that
the liquid flow is laminar.

[0046]The upper part 34 of the valve rod 25 is provided with an annular
shoulder surface 48 which abuts, in the open position, against a
corresponding annular stop surface 49 formed on the inner periphery of
the housing bore 22 in the first medium housing stage 21b in order to
limit the course of the valve rod 25.

[0047]The valve 12 comprises a first, lower, conical compression return
spring 50, located in the medium chamber 33, and which permanently
upwardly biases the valve rod 25 towards its open position. The upwardly
axially oriented force exerted on the valve rod 25 by the lower spring 50
is referenced T1.

[0048]The piston body 27 has a lower end 51 provided with a seal member 52
which abuts against an annular seat formed by the upper end 37 of the
valve rod 25 around the opening of the through hole 43, in a gas tight
manner.

[0049]The piston 26 is axially slidingly mounted with respect of the
housing 21, between [0050]a closed position (FIG. 3) in which the lower
end 51 of the piston body 27 is in contact with the upper end 37 of the
valve rod 25 and in which the piston head 28 is located near a lower
surface 53 of the air chamber 29, thereby preventing gas from flowing
through the through hole 43 constituting the gas passage, and [0051]an
open position (FIGS. 5 and 6) in which the piston 26 is elevated with
respect of the closed position so that the lower end 51 of the piston
body 27 is spaced from the upper end 37 of the valve rod 25, the piston
head 28 abutting against an upper surface 54 of the air chamber 29,
thereby allowing gas to flow from the gas chamber 32 to the inside of the
container 2 through the through hole 43 constituting the gas passage.

[0052]The piston 26 is of the double effect type, its position being air
controlled by means of a pressure differential between an upper air
chamber 55 defined between the piston head 28 and the upper surface 54 of
the air chamber 29, and a lower air chamber 56 defined between the piston
head 28 and the lower surface 53 of the air chamber 29.

[0053]The valve 12 further comprises a first air inlet 57 directly opening
in the upper air chamber 55, and a second air inlet 58 opening in the
lower air chamber 56 through a control valve 59 provided with a pair of
movable balls 60, 61, i.e. [0054]a first, upper ball 60 having a closed
position in which it abuts against a corresponding upper valve seat 62 in
an air tight manner (FIG. 3), thereby preventing upstream airflow through
the valve seat 62, and an open position in which the upper ball 60 is
spaced from its valve seat 62 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6), thereby allowing air to
flow through the same up- and downstream, and [0055]a second, lower ball
61 having a closed position in which it abuts against a corresponding
lower valve seat 63 in an air tight manner (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6), thereby
preventing downstream airflow through the valve seat 63, and an open
position in which the lower ball 61 is spaced from its valve seat 63
(FIG. 3), thereby allowing air to flow through the valve seat up- and
downstream.

[0056]The balls 60, 61 are permanently biased away from each other (i.e.
towards their respective closed positions) through a compression spring
64 interposed between them.

[0057]Air pressure from the first air inlet 57 is referenced P1, whereas
air pressure from the second air inlet 58 is referenced P2. P1 is more
than the sum of P2 and the overpressure resulting from the biasing force
of the compression spring 64.

[0058]Air permanently comes under pressure P2 from the second air inlet
58. When the upper air chamber 55 is fed with air under pressure P1, the
piston head 28 is moved downwards until the lower end 51 of the piston
body 27 comes into abutment against the upper end 37 of the valve rod 25.
The lower ball 61 is opened by the increasing pressure in the lower air
chamber 56, whereas the upper ball 60 is closed, thereby preventing
upstream airflow due to the overpressure in the lower air chamber 56 with
respect of the second air inlet 58.

[0059]When the air feeding from the first air inlet 57 stops, the
overpressure in the lower air chamber moves the piston head 28 upwards,
until the piston head 28 comes into abutment with the upper surface 54 of
the air chamber 29. Air feeding in the lower air chamber 56 is stopped
when the lower ball 61 closes, under pressure differential between the
second air inlet 58 and the lower air chamber 56, well before the piston
26 reaches its open position (see FIG. 4), thereby allowing smooth
contact of the piston head 28 with the upper surface 54 of the air
chamber 29.

[0060]As depicted on FIG. 3, the valve 12 further comprises a cup 65
slidingly mounted on the piston body 27 in the gas chamber 32. The cup 65
has a cylindrical peripheral wall 66 which surrounds the piston body 27
and defines a lower edge 67, and a top wall 68 slidingly contacting a
peripheral outer surface of the piston body 27.

[0062]The cup 65 is slideable, with respect of the valve assembly 24,
between a lower position, illustrated on FIGS. 3 and 4, in which the
lower edge 67 abuts against the upper end 37 of the valve rod 25, and a
higher position, illustrated on FIGS. 5 and 6, in which the cup 65 is
elevated with respect of the lower position, under action of the piston
26, whereby the cup 65 is located at a distance from the valve rod 25.

[0063]As depicted on FIG. 3, the cup 65 is also provided, in the vicinity
of its lower edge 67, with a radial annular flange 70, forming a contact
surface for a second, upper, compression return spring 71 located in the
gas chamber 32, and interposed between the housing 21 and the cup 65 for
permanently downwardly biasing the cup 65 towards its lower position. The
downwardly axially oriented force exerted on the cup 65 by the upper
spring 71 is referenced T2.

[0064]It shall be understood that, in the lower position of the cup 65,
the upper spring 71 also biases the valve rod 25 toward its closed
position, since the cup 65 is in abutment against the upper end 37 of the
valve rod 25.

[0065]As depicted on FIGS. 4 and 5, the piston 26 is provided with a
shoulder surface 72 which, during the course of the piston 26 toward its
open position, abuts against the top wall 68 of the cup 65, thereby
displacing the same toward its higher position.

[0066]Accordingly, the valve assembly 24 can have three configurations,
depending upon the respective positions of the valve rod 25, the piston
26 and the cup 65, namely: [0067]a closed configuration, illustrated on
FIG. 3, in which both the valve rod 25 and the piston 26 are in their
closed position, whereas the cup 65 is in its lower position; [0068]a gas
filling configuration, in which the valve rod 25 is in its closed
position, whereas the piston 26 is in its open position and the cup 65 in
its higher position (FIG. 5), and [0069]a liquid filling configuration,
in which both the valve rod 25 and the piston 26 are in their open
position, whereas the cup 65 is in its higher position (FIG. 6).

[0070]Moreover, the springs 50, 71 and the upper and lower ends 37, 44 of
the valve rod 25 are so dimensioned that:

Pg×S2>T1 (1)

Pg×S2<T1+Pg×S1 (2)

and

T2+Pg×S2>T1+Pg×S1 (3)

[0071]where:

[0072]T1 is the upwardly axially oriented force exerted on the valve rod
25 by the lower spring 50;

[0073]T2 is the downwardly axially oriented force exerted on the cup 65 by
the upper spring 71;

[0074]Pg is the gas pressure in the gas chamber 32;

[0075]S1 is the surface area, considered axially, of the lower end 44 of
the valve rod 25 exposed to the gas pressure in the container 2; and

[0076]S2 is the surface area, considered axially, of the upper end 37 of
the valve rod 25 exposed to the gas pressure in the gas chamber 32.

[0077]As depicted on FIG. 3, the valve 12 further comprises a diaphragm
failure sensor 73, comprising a piston 74 slidingly mounted in a bore 75
formed in the housing 21 at the level of the first medium housing stage
21b, and a signal member 76 formed of a pellet attached to one end of the
piston 74 opposed to the medium chamber 33 and visually accessible from
the outside of the housing 21.

[0078]Under normal operational conditions, the medium chamber 33 is filled
with air under atmospheric pressure, whereby the failure sensor 73 is in
a so-called "normal operation" position (FIGS. 3 to 6), in which the
pellet constituting the signal member 76 is received in a corresponding
recess 77 formed in an outer surface of the housing 21.

[0079]As soon as the lower diaphragm 35 or the upper diaphragm 36 is no
more liquid or, respectively, gas tight, e.g. after the diaphragm 35 or
36 has reached its fatigue limit, there is a liquid or gas leakage from
the liquid or, respectively, from the gas chamber 32 toward the medium
chamber 33 through the failing diaphragm 35 or 36. The resulting
overpressure in the medium chamber 33, with respect of the atmospheric
pressure, radially pushes the piston 74 toward a so-called "failure"
position in which the piston 74 partly protrudes radially outside from
the housing 21, whereby the signal member 76 extends at a distance from
its recess 77, thereby signaling that a diaphragm failure occurred.

[0080]In one embodiment, the failure sensor 73 is of the passive type,
i.e. it only provides "normal operation" or "failure information"
concerning the valve 12.

[0081]In another embodiment, the failure sensor 73 is of the active type,
i.e. it is electrically or mechanically connected to a machine control
system (not shown) to stop operation of the same and shut off both gas
and liquid feeding.

[0082]Given the presence of two diaphragms 35, 36, the risk of gas and
liquid mutual contamination is very low in the event one of the
diaphragms 35 or 36 fails (e.g. the diaphragm 35 or 36 breaks).

[0083]Given the presence of the failure sensor 73, either the machine
operator is immediately warned that a diaphragm failure occurred, so that
he can stop the machine and achieve (or ask for) the appropriate
maintenance (in the meantime the machine still runs, so that productivity
is maintained), or the machine is automatically stopped by its control
system under displacement of the failure sensor 73.

[0084]As depicted on FIGS. 2 and 7, the valve 12 is provided with a
snifter valve 78 including a double effect piston 79 slideable between an
open position (FIG. 7) in which it puts an exhaust conduit 80 formed in
the housing 21 and opening in the bore 22 at the level of its aperture 23
(i.e. in the vicinity of the valve seat 42) in communication with an
exhaust pipe 81 opening to the atmosphere, and a closed position in which
the piston 79 shuts the exhaust conduit 80.

[0085]More precisely, the piston 79 has a head 82, the position of which
is controlled by an air pressure differential on both sides thereof via
air ducts 83, 84 sequentially feeding the snifter valve 78 with
pressurized air, and a body 85, an end of which can be put in gas tight
contact with a side surface 86 of the housing 21, where both the exhaust
conduit 80 and the exhaust pipe 81 open.

[0086]In the open position of the piston 79, the end of the piston body 85
is spaced from the side surface 86, thereby putting the exhaust conduit
80 in communication with the exhaust pipe 81 and allowing the
overpressure gas to flow from the container 2 to the atmosphere, until
the gas pressure in the container 2 has reached a predetermined pressure
wherein it can no more compensate the force exerted on the piston 79 by
the air pressure, cumulated with the biasing force of a return spring 87
permanently biasing the piston 79 toward its closed position.

[0087]Such an exhausting operation (also called shift operation) prevents
the CO2-saturated liquid from foaming when the container 2 is
separated from the valve 12 at the end of the filling.

[0088]The filling operations are now described.

[0089]Starting from the closed configuration of the valve assembly 24, a
container 2 (such as a bottle) is attached to the valve 12 at the bore
aperture 23 through a gas tight joint assembly 88.

[0090]Air is fed to the lower air chamber 56 through the second air inlet
58 via the control valve 59, thereby putting the piston 26 in its open
position and the cup 65 in its higher position. In other words, the valve
assembly 24 is put in its gas filling configuration. Pressurized gas is
thereby allowed to inside of the container 2 through the through hole 43
constituting the gas passage. Equation (1) is verified as long as the gas
pressure in the container 2 is lower than the gas pressure Pg in the
gas chamber 32 (which is equal to the gas pressure in the gas space 6 of
the storage tank 3), so that the valve rod 25 remains in its closed
position.

[0091]Once the gas pressure equilibrium is reached, i.e. once the gas
pressure in the container 2 has reached the gas pressure Pg in the
gas chamber 32, equation (2) is verified, so that the valve rod 25 is
elevated under the upwardly directed force exerted by the lower spring 50
and the force resulting from the gas pressure Pg in the container 2,
the sum of which is greater than the downwardly directed force exerted on
the valve rod 25 by the gas pressure Pg in the gas chamber 32. The
valve assembly 24 then occupies its liquid filling configuration.

[0092]Liquid is thereby allowed to flow from the liquid chamber 30 to the
container 2 through the aperture 23, until the flow meter 15 has measured
the predetermined amount of liquid substantially corresponding to the
volume of the container 2.

[0093]The liquid flow is then stopped under control of the flow meter 15,
whereas the piston 26 is displaced to its closed position, thereby
shutting off the through hole 43 to the container 2. The cup 65 is back
to its lower position, in which the upper spring 71 downwardly biases the
valve rod 25. Equation (3) is therefore verified, the valve assembly 24
being back to its closed configuration.

[0094]The snifter valve 78 is then put in its open position, thereby
allowing the exhausting of part of the mixture of air and CO2
overlying above the liquid in the container 2.

[0095]More precisely, since air is lighter than CO2, the exhausted
gas essentially consists of air, the remaining gas in the container 2
essentially consisting of CO2.

[0096]Accordingly, it shall be understood that operation of the valve
assembly 24, and more specifically the transition from the gas filling
configuration to the liquid filling configuration, is gas
pressure-controlled, thereby allowing automatic opening of the valve rod
25.